Wrap-around carriers typically are drawn tightly about articles to be packaged in order to prevent the articles from moving toward the open ends of the carrier during shipment and handling. To further ensure a secure package, wrap-around carriers which are designed to accommodate beverage bottles or cans are normally provided with cut-outs in the side panels to allow the bottom or heel portion of the bottles or cans to extend out partly through the side of the carrier. As a result, the bottles or cans are better held in place by the grip between the bottom portion of the bottle or can and the side edges of the cut-outs.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,283 of Sutherland relates to a wrap-around carrier having cut-outs and article retaining flaps for helping to hold bottles or cans in the cut-outs. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,050 also of Sutherland relates to a wrap-around carrier with a flexible heel aperture for securely holding petaloid-shaped bottles in place. These patents are good examples of efforts in the past to provide a good grip on bottles or cans at such cut-outs or apertures.
In the use of known wrap-around carriers, a problem can arise during the filling and transport of the carriers. In particular, the outer material adjacent outboard ones of the cut-outs can be damaged as the carrier is moved along a filling and packaging line. In a bottling plant, the carriers are filled with bottles or cans and moved along a line in nose-to-tail fashion. Thus, the leading edge of one carrier is positioned adjacent the trailing edge of an adjacent carrier. As the filled carriers are moved along they are frequently jostled and bumped, resulting in damage to the ends of the carriers. In particular, the carriers are susceptible to damage adjacent the material next to the heel cut-outs at the ends of the carriers. If this material becomes torn or weakened, a bottle or can can become dislodged and fall out.
Accordingly, it can be seen that a need yet remains for a wrap-around style carrier having heel cut-outs or heel apertures for retaining bottles or cans and which is reinforced to prevent destruction or compromise of the material adjacent outboard ones of the heel cut-outs. It is to the provision of such a wrap-around carrier that the present invention is primarily directed.